The First Noel
by Shadowpunk67
Summary: When Jazz is patrolling in Detroit, he comes across a special little human. She teaches him what exactly he's fighting for, and how important it is not to over look those in need. art for the cover is done by BTfly009 at deviant art, she is incredible and does wonderful commissions.
1. Beginings

**A/N: This story is going to be set in the IDW Transformers universe when the very first of the bots were just getting to know, and protect the planet and the people that live there. Again I do not own any of the Transformers characters, all rights to them belong to Hasbro and IDW.**

 **Tanya-**

Winter in Detroit was always a bitter, biting cold that Tanya had become all too familiar with. The piercing frosty day was turning her small fingers numb as she sat huddled inside her make shift-home close to the wall of a brick building. She was only 7, but she had learned quickly where to find warmth.

She pulled her hole ridden gloves from her hands, and held them up to a vent in the wall. Warm air was continuously flowing out, and providing a faint comfort to the area around her, but she couldn't stay there. Mama had left a while ago, to find something to eat, and would be mad if Tanya hadn't done her part too.

Tanya spent most of her time gathering coins that mama exchanged for food. Mama always said if she had no coins she had no food. She was always by herself, mama told her it was better that way. they got more coins if she was alone.

So she pulled her socks up as far as they could go. Pushing her fingers back into her gloves, she made sure to cover the dark bruises on her wrist. Remembering how Daddy had told her to keep the heat in, She grabbed a handful of old papers and stuffed them into her old jacket.

She missed her father, but mama said he was gone, and he wasn't coming back. She frowned at the thought of the words mama had screamed at her that night. The clear fiery blame that surged from her mothers mouth cut through her like a hot knife in butter. It was the first time she could remember crying so hard.

She quickly shook the horrid memory from her mind, it was long ago, and mama had taught her real quick that tears like that only cause her more pain.

Looking down to the ground, she picked up her teddy. The old bear had been a gift from her father three years ago. It was the first Christmas they spent on the streets, and the last Christmas she spent with her father. he had spent all month collecting coins to buy it for her. The teddy was now dirty and ragged, but not any less important to her.

On the ground was a dirty piece of cardboard with letters on it. Mama had written it, and shoved it into her lap last week. More coins came when she held it, so she picked it up, and sat down on the street corner with her hand out.

The wind whipped through her hair, piercing through her cloths, and chilling her to the bone. As she sat there shivering, she held her hand out to any passers by that might offer some money to her.

People came and went, passing her by, and making an obvious effort to avert their gaze. A tall man in a suit dropped a few coins into her hand, and she gave him a small grin as he left. He might be the only one to help her today, but she was grateful nonetheless.

She held her hand out once again, but a crowd gathering across the street caught her eye. The red and white was the first thing she noticed, and recognition filled her eyes with light.

Santa had come to the mall. Excitedly, She bolted from her corner. She ran as fast as she could, and darted into the road ahead of her. The thought of what she would wish for this Christmas filled her mind. She barely noticed the sports car that was quickly heading in her direction.

It came to screeching to a halt at her side. She let out a scream in her panic, as she cringed and fell to the ground. The car's horn roared loudly at her, but she quickly shot back up and kept running. Nothing would stop her from telling Santa what she longed for this Christmas. Her wish was more important than any possible danger that she faced.

She slipped through the crowd, crawling under legs, and shoving past other children until she made it to the front. She could feel the smile stretching her lips as she looked up at him. His beard came down almost to his belly, and his belly came out almost as far as a beach ball.

He was so clean, she looked down at her battered old dress and scarf. Trying hard to brush the stains from her cloths she smiled meekly in the old mans direction.He kindly smiled back at her from his chair, his bag of toys sitting by his side.

She wanted something so much more than any toy. One of his elves bent down to look at her, a perceptibly forced happiness emitted from her, making Tanya feel completely unwelcome.

"Hi sweetie, do you want a picture with Santa?"

She nodded slowly in reply, her eyes still fixed on the man that could grant her deepest desire.

"Alright, then do you have 5 dollars?"

As the condescending tone of the question rang in her ears, Her hopes sunk. She hadn't seen any paper money in weeks.

"Well honey, the sign says 5 dollars to sit with Santa. Maybe if you ask your mom she can help you."

Tanya turned away from the forced smile that spread across the elf's face. Downcast, she headed back to her corner.

She had seen the sign, but had never learned to read. She wasn't even sure what the sign mama had written for her said. She only knew that it got her coins, and all coins went to mama.

Her emotions sunk further as she glanced across the street, and caught sight of the last person she wanted to see. Mama was standing on the corner, she wore a face smeared with old make-up, and rage.

Tanya knew what followed that kind of look, and swallowed hard as she made her way back to the corner. The corner was her spot, and she was supposed to stay there. Leaving the corner meant leaving the money, and the money was the only thing that kept mama happy.

 **Jazz-**

Jazz, was gonna get an earful from Kup and he knew it. He hadn't even been on earth two weeks, and already he had almost hit a small human. No, a child, he had almost hit a child.

She had come out of nowhere, running into the street like Blur when he's drunk. Had he not been paying attention he would've killed her, but his field training for the new planet had really paid off.

These humans, so small, fragile, and unpredictable. It was almost like the girl didn't care that her life could've easily ended had he not stopped.

He had been following a lead, there had been decepticon activity in the area, and he had picked up on what he thought were two energon signatures near by.

She was lucky it was him, and not the bots who he pursued that she jumped in front of. A decepticon wouldn't have thought twice about sending the young human flying, they would probably take pleasure in it.

He couldn't help but picture it, a broken little human on the ground. If he had hit her, he would feel awful sure, but she was just one out of 7 billion right? The important part would have been that he saved the other 6,999,999,999 from the decepticons.

"Jazz, ya catch em yet kid?"

The com dragged him from his thoughts.

"Nah, not yet. Are we sure they're in this area?"

"Energon signatures showin em just around the corner from ya."

"Kup, i've been following the signature around the for a while now. This is my **third** lap around he same block, i'm not _seein'_ any cons man. You sure the sensors are correct?"

He turned the corner again, and was surprised as same little girl started to cross in-front of him again. He came to a slow stop as she somberly walked into his path.

She moved much slower this time, and was easy to avoid. Her head was down, and he swore he could see something shimmering in the corner of her eye. He studied the little creature as she walked.

There was a dirty, toy animal held loosely in he arms, a teddy bear. For the first time he noticed what a ragged little thing she was. Holes all throughout her cloths and mud smudged on her face.

As she reached the other side an angry looking woman yanked the girl by the wrist, and began to scream in her face.

He watched as the girl pursed her lips, but didn't scream or cry. In fact she showed very little emotion at all. She simply looked to the pavement with an emptiness that gave him a sinking feeling.

His previous thoughts brought a tinge of guilt to his spark, this human was already hurting. How could he be justifying causing her more pain? The stoic stare plastered on her face made it clear she had already faced enough.

"Jazz? Jazz, yer audio receptors working?"

He turned his attention back to Kup.

"Yeah, I heard ya. They're jammin the signal, at least that means we're close. It's almost night fall, i'll hang here for a while and see what i can do. Let me know if you crack it."

He turned into the parking lot, and slipped into a spot with a good vantage point. He needed to keep an optic on his surroundings in case the cons were to show up.

He couldn't help but let his attention wander over to the small girl. The woman forcefully dragged her to the side of the building, screeching in her face like a banshee.

She kept quietly looking down at her feet as the woman continued to berate her for whatever wrong she might've committed, and sympathy welled in his spark. Surely this little thing didn't do something so terrible as to deserve such a harsh verbal lashing.

Finally the woman stopped shouting, and held out her hand. The kid reluctantly reached into her pocket and pulled out a few coins. She handed them over, and Jazz cringed inwardly as the sound of a harsh slap echoed through his audio receptors.

The little girl slipped back into a box, light reflecting from her water filled eyes as the other human stomped away in rage.

 **Tanya-**

Tanya sunk to the ground, backing slowly into her box. As she rubbed her stinging cheek and choked back her sobs. Mama hit her hard this time.

Her cheek felt like a hot iron. She had made nothing today, so she would go hungry tonight. Worthless was the word her mother spat at her. Not the coins but Tanya herself. It wasn't unusual, an unproductive day earned her a new mark to cover and a empty stomach at night.

Thankfully, mama had left, she had to make up for the money that Tanya failed to get today. Which meant Tanya was gonna spend the night alone now to make up for her uselessness.

She knew that the bite of the frost during the day turned to a burning freeze during the night. The warm flow of air that kept her content in her box would disappear as soon as the shop keeper left. If she didn't find shelter the cold would turn her purple at best.

She could see the sun setting, and feel the temperature dipping as she pulled her socks up. The shakes were already rattling her down to her bones. With the small amount of food she had eaten this morning, she could feel fatigue creeping in.

She surveyed the parking lot in-front of her. Maybe, if she was lucky, one of the night time people left their car unlocked. She had only done this once before, and was given an earful by a big scary man the next morning, so she had to be careful not to sleep too late.

She set off into the parking lot, chattering and shaking against the harsh cold. She made sure to check the locks on each car as she passed, hoping for sanctuary somewhere. A big blue truck that stood high on over sized tires drew her attention.

The large pickup towered over her. Struggling to climb the steps, she heaved herself up to yank on it's shiny silver handle. Immediately, the trucks alarm began to wail loudly.

Startled, Tanya lost her balance and slipped from the step falling to the pavement below. She shot up wiping the snow from her behind, as she scrambled to the end of the row.

Hiding behind an old van, she let rapid clouds of breath escaped from her mouth. Slowly, she peaked out to make sure she hadn't been noticed. Her eyes stopped as they landed on the sight of a familiar white sports car across row from her.

A small, hopeful smile tugged at her lips as she noticed the door had been left open. It was almost like it was inviting her to safety and warmth.

 **Jazz-**

Jazz had sat there constantly scanning for enemies, but nothing had come up, and the coms were still silent. He felt guilt and sympathy tug at his spark as he watched the little humans struggle for shelter. She was abandoned, and vulnerable to the elements.

It would mean nothing if he spared her life earlier only to watch her suffer, that was plain as day, but he would be severely be breaking the rules if he caved...

Damn his soft spark to the pit! He had to help her. after what she had been through she deserved a safe place to sleep. He held his door open for the little girl, an invitation.

He kept completely still as the girl's eyes darted warily around the area. Once she was sure there were no other humans near by, she climbed into his open door. He felt her tiny hands tug his door shut, and silently he locked her in.

She curled into a ball around her toy trying to get comfortable. Once she settled, he could feel her tiny form shaking rapidly in his seat. It was obviously working overtime to warm up her small figure up.

Slowly, and silently he did his best to warm the air inside his cabin. Gradually, he felt her shaking stop. He listened as it was replaced by the sound of her soft intake of breathe. She had fallen asleep, her little puffs of air were a content sound that eased his spark. Like a rhythm that helped him focus as he continued his scan through the night.


	2. Longing

**Tanya-**

Tanya rolled on her side and reached out for teddy only to feel her hand rest on the smooth, warm leather that had cradled her through the night. Propping herself up, she rubbed at her eyes as the sun lanced through the heavily tinted windows around her. It pricked at her already groggy senses, making her squint out at the cold day. She had to get going.

She turned a drowsy gaze to the floor of the car, and slowly scooped teddy into her arms. She closed her eyes and breathed, soaking up the warm gentle air that comforted her.

She had slept later than she wanted, and she knew her luck was thinning as more time passed. If she didn't leave, the owner of the car would find her, and certainly wouldn't be happy.

Bracing herself for the icy wind, she wrapped one arm around her chest as she pulled the handle and heaved the door open.

Again, that devious wind stung her as she shuffled through the dirty, gray snow. It had formed a thin layer on everything over night, causing the roof of her box to sag.

A rumble erupted from her tummy, and she bent down to sift through the damp plastic bags she had stuffed in the back of her home. She knew what the result would be, but she checked none the less.

An idea came to her. Mama wasn't far. When mama needed to make money she went to the big man, in the dirty ally, down the road.

She also knew that mama never let herself go hungry for a night, no matter what. Maybe, if she apologized, she could have some of her food.

Blowing warm air on her palms, she made her way to the end of the parking lot. As she passed the white car it roared to life loudly. Causing her to jump, as it raced out of the parking lot and onto the road ahead.

She watched as the car braked at a red light, then listened as its wheels screeched against the pavement. It made a sharp right turn, and faded from her sight.

A small part of her heart sank as she listened to the engine slowly fade into the distance, her shelter was gone. Tanya knew that if mama hadn't come back by now, she probably wouldn't be back until late.

She grimaced, that meant another night with the creeping ice that covered her already soggy shoes. Her tummy yelled at her again causing her to quicken her pace.

Maybe, if she could get to mama, she could convince her to come back. It was a fools hope, but a part of her still clung to the thought that her mom might still love her somehow.

The time passed at a snails speed, as she made her way through town. Finally, she trudged around the last corner, and headed down the dirty old ally.

Dragging her achy, frozen feet, she held in a hope filled smile. She could see her mom slumped against the wall next to a dumpster, and rushed to greet her.

Stopping short, her optimism ran to hide in the corner of her mind. She numbed herself, as she faced the dark void in her mothers eyes.

Irritation flashed across her mothers empty visage, no hint of love to be found. A dirty band was tied tight around her arm, she had become a zombie. Drained of all emotion save one, anger.

Tanya's eyes wandered around the ground skimming over the empty needles. trying not to focus on the woman who gawked dangerously at her.

"Do you see what you've done?"

Mama's voice was ragged, it sounded like a snake trying to form words. It carried an edge that made Tanya stiffen. Her eyes wandered, trying hard to avoid making any contact with that menacing tone.

She froze, her gaze resting on a tantalizing sight. Laying in the snow next to her mother was a flat square box that made her mouth water. Pizza.

"Are you even listening to me you little bitch? I! Am! Talking! to! you! This is all YOUR fault, I never deserved this! YOU did this to ME!"

Ignoring the threat in her mothers tone, she darted for the box, and stuffed the cold food in her mouth. Nothing could compare to the relief she felt as the food slowly dropped in to her empty stomach.

"YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE WHORE!"

She saw her mom move from the corner of her eye, but the food had her preoccupied. Before she could blink, something hard and heavy struck her head with a force that made her drop to the ground violently.

Tears flooded to the surface as a singeing pain ripped across the side of her forehead, and darkness flooded her vision for a moment.

Recovering from the blow, she dizzily looked to her mom. Shock painting her face, as the woman next to her wiped a gravel covered hand on her shirt.

A large piece of crumbled asphalt laid haphazardly on the ground next to her, its left corner smeared with deep red blood. More tears welled as she realized what had just happened.

Forgetting the pizza, Tanya threw herself forward, and dashed frantically down the street. Her head was swimming, and her heart aching. She couldn't force herself to stay with the woman that was supposed to love her, but didn't.

She let the warm liquid trickle down her head and over her brow, as she came to a stop around the back of an old building. Sitting on the steps near a dirt stained door, she tried to stifle the sniffles that had taken over. She wiped her water filled gaze with her sleeve, and scooted back against the unfamiliar building.

Her head thudded against the door as she leaned back, and squeezed her eyes shut to ebb the flow of water that ran down her face. It was difficult for her to process the pain that throbbed from both her head and her chest. She opened her bleary eyes, a small cross was hanging from the door just above her. Her father's words filled her mind, as a memory surfaced.

She didn't remember much, just that it was cold like today. Something bad had happened, and Mama had just finished yelling at him.

It had been money that made her angry, or lack there of. She had just stormed off, when her father turned and looked at her. He was tired, she could see it. Exhaustion emanated from his features, but when he looked at her, his kind eyes only belayed warmth and love.

"Now baby girl, there are gonna be **tough** times ahead. Times when you feel like you have no one to turn to, and your world is upside down."

He held her face in his hands, and gently made her focus on him. His lightly browned face, and dark short beard filled her vision. There was a slight hint of water in his hazel eyes.

"Promise me you wont forget, Jesus is always there. When your are struggling, talk to him."

A sniffle escaped his lips.

"He will listen, ok?"

She didn't understand her fathers sorrow, but she nodded in reply. He kissed her forehead, and hugged her tight as more sniffles sounded from his mouth.

Bringing herself back to the present, She closed her eyes once more. A new fresh pain flooded her heart. She missed her daddy, and wanted him back desperately. She wished he was here to hold her now, but she knew he wasn't coming back. It was impossible for him to return.

So she pretended to push the pain aside, she had made a promise. Bringing her request to the front of her mind, she wept again as she pushed it with all her might to heaven. Desperate for God to listen.

 **Jazz-**

Jazz followed the uneven human roads back to the place he had parked the night before. He resented the shoddy, human workmanship that left the the old roads filled with the deep fissures and potholes. It made his wheels ache. His whole day had been spent following what he thought was a lead, but had turned out to be another dead end.

Having driven far from where he had started, exhaustion weighed him down. It had been another long day of fruitless effort. There had been no luck decoding the signal so far, and his patience was wearing thin. He knew he should head back to base, but something deep in his spark kept nagging at him to stay.

He tried to tell himself that it was a looming decepticon threat that held him to the area, but he knew, if he was honest, he wasn't heading back solely to retrace his steps. The shivering little human had weighed on his mind all day, and despite his better judgement, he was on his way back to check on her.

Something about the little girl held him to the place like a tractor beam, and he couldn't shake it. Yesterday she was just a human, but after caring for her over night, she had become endearing and innocent. He couldn't forget the feeling of her shivering little form, or the sound of her peaceful little breaths. How had she fared without him?

The sun had already been down for a few hours as he rounded the last turn, and the little laundry building came into view. The cardboard box that was the young girls home was only a dark figure propped against the side of the building.

He focused his head lights on the ramshackle shelter, and concern seeped in, as he discovered the only occupant was a dirty little teddy bear.

The young girl treasured the bear, he could tell from the way she clung to it in her sleep. There was no way she would leave it without the intention of coming back. Small pin pricks of light gleamed from the ice on the old bears fur, and Jazz knew if he didn't find her, the frost that covered the toy would also be the end for the vulnerable little girl.

Carefully he shifted just his arm out of alt mode, and reached delicately for the little toy. He sat the bear in his passenger seat, and set to work tracking the child's whereabouts.

Using his special ops training he quickly hacked into the closest red light camera, and backed up the recording to the last time he saw her. He revved his engine and took off, jumping from camera feed to camera feed as he roared down the road retracing the girl's steps.

He came to a stop at an old church, the windows had been boarded up and graffiti was claiming the majority of any open space on the walls.

He pulled cautiously into the parking lot, making sure to avoid the nefarious pot holes that pocked the pavement, and made his way around the back of the derelict building.

Jazz felt a tug on his spark as he noticed the small human curled up on the door step. He revved his engine, to get her attention, but there was no response.

A quick scan revealed that her breaths were slow and shallow. Hypothermia had already set in, but he knew that if he acted now he could save her.

He made his way over to her. Scanning every camera to verify he was out of sight, he transformed. Was he really risking his cover for just one little human?

The thought made him hesitate, he studied her for just a moment. Small, barely noticeable puffs of breath exited her bluish colored lips, and condensed in the air almost instantly. He wasn't sure why, but the answer was an unwavering yes.

Carefully, he crouched down and slid his hands under her. Very gently he lifted her from the steps, and examined her in the palm of his hand. As the girls head lolled lazily to the side, anger and empathy filled his spark.

Red brown liquid trickled down from a grizzled red gash on her forehead. It had dried on the side of her face, making her pallid form look that much more stark and vulnerable.

Clean lines ran from her eyes through the dirt on her cheeks and down to her chin. He shook his head in sorrow trying to imagine what kind of day the little creature had had. Slowly and deftly he shifted into his alt mode making sure to place the girl comfortably on one of his false leather seats.

He spent the night gently raising the temperature in his cabin, and monitoring the small child he was protecting. It had only taken a day, but the girl he had almost hit yesterday was now ingrained in his spark forever.


	3. Meeting

**Tanya-**

Throughout the night Tanya had drifted in and out of consciousness, grasping at images and sounds that only gave her a vague sense that she hadn't been alone all night. The image of a hulking figure standing over her filled her mind as she slowly came to, it seemed so vivid, she was fairly sure she hadn't imagined it.

She stretched slowly, working her achy joints as her eyes fluttered open. The immediate onset of confusion took her, as she lifted herself from a familiar black leather seat. The same dash board and tinted windows she had woken up to the morning before, were now greeting her again with a suspicious edge.

She twisted in her seat slightly, trying to make sense of her surroundings. A familiar friend came into view. Sitting on the center consul, was the teddy bear her dad had given her. She knew teddy had been in her box when she left yesterday. How had they both ended up here?

Skepticism had her reaching cautiously for teddy. She reached and pinched his ear verifying he was real, and yanked him cautiously into her arms. One eye on the empty drivers seat, she scooted back towards the door, and reached for the handle.

Quickly she turned, and left the car. Something was far from right about the vehicle, but she wasn't sure what.

She scowled, watching her feet as she trudged through the snow once more. The confusion was frustrating, she knew she had been alone last night.

No one ever came here, at least no one who would have helped her. The same huge figure flashed though her mind again, and a sudden thought filled her with curiosity.

 **Jazz-**

Jazz couldn't help, but laugh inwardly at the worried little human. She had left his cabin, and trudged over to the door step where he had found her last night. With her face partially covered by her teddy, he could only just make out her small brown eyes as they studied him intently.

The speculative gaze she had trained on him was full of irritated confusion. The little lines above her eyes were pulled together in frustration. It was obvious, she was working hard to understand what had transpired the night before. He chuckled quietly. She was cute, no denying that.

At this point he could tell she had at least an inkling that things were not what they seemed. He was also sure that his disregard for the rules had probably blown his cover. Still nothing could convince him that he hadn't done the right thing.

She would've died had he not acted, and the idea of knowingly letting something so innocent suffer, would have weighed heavy on his spark for the rest of his life. Even if she was only one of billions.

"Hey, kid ya there?"

The sound of Kup's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah, i'm here. You got somethin?"

He could feel the reluctance in Kup's tone as. the old bot replied.

"Well, i think i kinda cracked the code, but i got some bad news."

He let out an exasperated sigh.

"Let me guess, they're long gone."

"Heh, yeah you got it, but they left some kind of device behind. It's spewin some kinda radiation, not sure how it effects organics. Might wanna take care of it."

If he could roll his optics in his alt form he would have. It was always something.

"Send me the coordinates, i'll take care of it."

"Knew i could count on ya. I'm sendin them your way."

As he received the coordinates, he revved his engine, but couldn't help another glance in the girl's direction. Those little brown dots followed him intently as he left the parking lot. He resigned himself to the fact that he was most likely screwed, as he sped towards his next objective.

 **Tanya-**

Tanya watched with consentrated focus as the car moved cautiously out of the parking lot. Quickly, she shot up and over to the corner of the old church building.

She peeked around the corner to spy on the suspicious white car as it left her once again. Watching as it turned onto the worn road out front, she ran as fast as her cold, stiff legs would take her.

At the next corner, momentum almost yanked her out into the street as she grabbed hold of an old rusted posted to stop herself. Leaning out into the road, Tanya checked to see if the road was clear before darting across.

From a distance she watched, as red brake lights lit up, and the car turn into the fenced property of an abandoned warehouse. The rusted metal fence was filled with holes, and the barbed wire at the top had snapped, curling in multiple places.

The ominous building itself was also flecked with large rusted holes, and any windows that had once adorned the building were now shattered frames with no purpose.

She knew the building well, her father had warned her not to go near it. He said it was dangerous, and the police didn't like it when you went there. Tanya swallowed hard, knowing she could get in trouble. However, the impulse to satiate her curiosity was to strong to stop her now. Something in her gut told her she **HAD** to answer the nagging question that hung suspended in her mind.

As she ran for the old warehouse, she couldn't help but wonder about the giant figure she had seen. It didn't seem like a dream, but the haziness that filled the rest of that night had her second guessing herself. She knew she remembered the vague feeling of ice weighing down her veins as someone lifted her from the steps, but after that nothing was clear.

As she reached the warehouse door she couldn't help, but think that they were connected. Peeking inside, her eyes grew wide as all her speculation was proven to be right.

 **Jazz-**

Jazz stood, and stretched. He had finished deactivating the simple decepticon device, and needed a minute to relax his motors. He rolled his shoulders as he turned toward the exit. The sight of a little face peeking around the door startled him for a moment. The girl stood stark still as her head tilted far back to take in the sight before her.

Her tiny eyes were held so wide in astonishment, like little gleaming marbles. He wasn't sure if she was going to run or if she was frozen stiff with fear.

She had followed him, he had a feeling she might. The way she had looked at him before gave her intentions away. He was in to deep to back out now, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare the poor girl.

He smiled warmly, and crouched down on one knee trying his hardest to seem friendly. There was a slight glimmer from tears that seeped into her little eyes, as she looked him straight in the optics. She must be frightened.

Suprisingly, before any comforting words escaped his mouth the little human was running, but not in the direction he expected.

Without hesitation the little girl had ran to him, and hugged tight to his knee. She was crying, but also smiling as she held on to him. Confusion colored his tone as he spoke to her for the first time.

"You're not scared of me?"

A sniffle escaped her, as she answered with a voice heavy from crying.

"W-why would I be scared, when God sent me an angel?"


	4. Learning

**Tanya-**

Tears still slipped from the corners of Tanya's eyes, as she held tight to the giant's leg. She sniffled as she thought of how right daddy had been. God can hear you, even when you don't talk to him.

So much had happened to her, she had been so alone for so long, all she could have ever wanted was a friend. She had never known that her deepest prayer would be granted before she even voiced it.

Now she had someone to be there, someone who might be able to get her away from mama, someone who could save her from the life she had right now.

She held her hand outstretched knowing that any normal person would back away. He was huge, but he had saved her twice now. Besides, his smile had an air of gentleness that conveyed that he meant no harm. So, she pushed any misgivings aside, who was she to question a miracle.

"I'm Tanya."

A smile still pulled at his face as he lowered a large finger to her.

"Names Jazz."

As her hand touched the cold metal that comprised his finger, she looked up into the large glowing visor that obscured what she assumed were his eyes.

He was obviously different from any machine she had ever seen. No average machine could convey emotions so naturally.

"Are you a robot?"

His smile turned to a smirk, and a small laugh escaped from him. She knew the question was blunt, but curiosity got the best of her. She was only a child.

"Sorta, we are actually aliens. Nobody controls me, but i am made of metal. Obviously not an earth metal." His mouth spread into a confident smile. "No earth metal could bend to let me express this kind of winning grin."

The gesture had her giggling. She had caught something in that sentence though, he had said **we**. He wasn't the only metal alien around here. Potentially more friends? A little hope rose in her.

"You said we. Are there more people like you?"

Excitement filled her tone, but drained quickly as his smile faded. It had been replaced by a stern look that had her stepping back.

His huge figure shifted, and grew close. His serious gaze filled her vision, and for the first time she felt fear bubble up in her while taking in his size.

"Yes, there are a lot of us, but just like people, not all of us are kind to little humans like you. Some of them wont hesitate to hurt or even kill you."

She swallowed as she touched the painful gash on her forehead. Mama had hurt her a lot, but never as serious as last night.

She looked up at Jazz. He loomed over her, by far the biggest creature she had ever seen. He had to be almost the size of a two story house. She knew that if he wanted to, he could easily do exactly what he was warning her about.

She sharply sucked in a breath as he lifted her chin with his finger so she was looking directly into his visor. His face was close enough to hers that she could make out his glowing blue eyes as they looked directly at her from behind his visor.

"If you ever see anyone else like me, I want you to run far away. Ok Tanya?"

She nodded silently with her eyes held wide, and swallowed hard.

 **Jazz-**

Jazz hadn't realized how intimidating he had been, until he saw Tanya's little brown eyes grow large with fear. He just wanted her to be safe.

He never intended to make her fear him, worry pricked at his spark. He had to make it better, she had to know that **HE** could never hurt her. Just the idea was revolting to him.

He made an effort to soften his demeanor as he let up just a bit, and put a warm smile back on his face. He just wanted to make sure that she would listen to him.

A twinge of guilt caught him as he looked down at her, she was standing quietly looking at the ground and hugging her teddy. Just like that day on the street corner. His brow furrowed with sympathy, he hadn't meant to scare her.

"I just don't want to see you hurt Tanya. I've already seen you hurt enough."

He saw her glance at the bruises on her wrists, she moved her hand to cover them, and slowly looked back up at him solemnly.

"Mama wasn't always mean. Daddy left, then mama started giving herself shots, she gets mean after getting a shot."

Drugs, always a problem on any planet. The kid was basically an orphan, he had seen how far gone her mother was.

Maybe, he could help her, if he could find her father. He knew he shouldn't bring the girl back to the bots, unless he wanted to thoroughly brake all the rules.

However, he didn't want to leave her either, she needed someone, she needed him. Unless she had someone else to take care of her, he wasn't going anywhere.

"Where did your dad go Tanya?"

She frowned, and Jazz regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth. It was clear he had hit a sore topic as the girls tiny lips began to quiver.

"Daddy……went to sleep last winter. It was very cold, mama couldn't wake him up. She took him to the doctor, but they said he was already gone. He…..he left to go see Jesus."

Tears started to fill her eyes again, and Jazz's couldn't stop the ache in his spark. Her voice hitched as she sucked in breaths ripidly, trying hard to form a complete sentence.

"I…I was cold…. daddy…..daddy gave me his jacket. He…he just…. wanted….me….to be….warm. It...was...my...fault."

She dropped her head into her teddy, and let the tears flow. Is this what her mother had screamed at her? Tanya's cruel mother resented her because her father sacrificed himself out of love?

He reached out to her with one finger, and rubbed her little back softly. He couldn't help himself, her words broke his spark.

He never should have asked, first he scares her now he makes her cry, this was definitely not his finest moment. She leaned over, and hugged his hand as tightly as her little arms could. It was like she desperately needed the affection.

Relief washed over him, he hadn't scared her too much. He took his other hand and covered her gently, trying to comfort her more.

"Shh, hey it'll be alright. Things are gonna start lookin up Tanya, I promise. I'm not going anywhere, and I would NEVER hurt you"

She wiped her eyes and looked up. She forced a smile, and he knew he'd do anything to make it genuine.

He cleared his visor, and winked at her. A small giggle escaped from her, accented by one last sniffle, and a little warmth filled his spark.

"That a girl, now, let's go do something fun."

He Stepped back, and transformed, making sure to leave his passenger door open. She climbed in, and he buckled her in tight. Making sure she was safe as he took off down the road toward the street.

She let out a squeal of glee as he accelerated quickly out of the parking lot, and onto the main drive. He laughed audibly at her unconstrained joy, and his tires screeched as he turned right and headed out of the city.


	5. Mystifying

**Tanya-**

Tanya sat in her seat, transfixed by the images flying past her. Building after dark, ominous building sped through her vision and faded into the distance. Each one was like a weight being lifted from her shoulders, a burden she no longer needed to carry. She no longer needed to worry about the cold or the coins or her mama, she was free.

Before she knew it, the city had slipped away and vast swaths of snow covered trees had her smiling in wonder. Never had she seen such clean, white snow.

It had always been a gray mush, something she never touched, never picked up. She had learned long ago that the salt filled snow was too harsh on her fingers, but this, this white fluff was something else.

It covered the trees, it was almost magic, a whole different kind of winter than what she was used to. She wanted to hold it, to fall into it, she had to validate that it wasn't a dream. So she gently patted Jazz's door, and looked down at her feet as she made her demure request.

"Um, do you think we could stop, please?"

In response Jazz slowed, and came to a stop. Concern colored his tone as his smooth voice issued from the speakers.

"Everything ok?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, I just wanna see something."

She heaved his door open and stepped one foot onto the snow. She felt it crunch under her old shoe in response to the her weight, but cautiously continued.

She put her other foot down and stood on the cold, cottony material beneath her feet. She took a step, and reached out to catch a falling snowflake, only to open her palm and notice the small puddle in the center. She smiled at the little drops of water that rested in her had and walked further into the woods.

Cold was quickly sapping the heat from her, but she could care less. Each little speck that floated down from above caught her attention. They were all magic.

It was the first time she had ever really experienced what she thought a winter wonderland should be. There was something ethereal, and other worldly about the frost on the bark of the bare trees. It had her staring in wonder at the landscape in front of her. It was inviting, like it had been waiting for her the whole time.

This was nothing like the ugly snow that bit at her finger tips each year. It was still very cold, but also very clean and crisp. Its white perfection unmarred by the grime that infested the cities, hypnotic in its purity.

Her gaze shifted to the trees, they seemed to go one for days. They glittered in their own right as the sun sent rays of light through them and onto the earth below. A blank slate, both she and the world could start over.

She reached out to wipe a finger through the cold crystals that had formed on a lone leaf that clung to a low hanging branch. She smiled taking in the vision that had entranced her so thoroughly.

 **Jazz-**

Jazz scanned the area for heat signatures, nothing, just him and little Tanya. He transformed and stood watch as the kid walked off, staring at the snow that fell all around them. His attention drifted for a moment as he mulled over the decision he had made.

They were going back to his base, not the main base, but a temporary one that he had set up for this mission. An old barn on a large deserted piece of land, Kup was there.

He was going to get an ear full from the old bot, but he had to face the music someday, and maybe Kup could help. Tanya shouldn't stay with them.

It pained his spark, but he was sure she needed an actual human family to raise her, not an autobot. Plus, the possibility of the decepticons getting to her was always in the back of his mind.

She had trusted him so completely, and without hesitation, he knew he could never let anything happen to her. He needed to find a safe place for her to grow up, a place where she could have a family that loved her.

He looked over, Tanya looked up at him as she tried to force the powdery snow into a circular shape with her hands. She opened her palms and the snowball quickly broke apart becoming the sugar snow it had been before.

She let out a small giggle, and let the snow fall through her fingers, and back to the ground. She brushed her hands together, wiping the extra snow from her gloves as she made her way back to him.

He smiled down at her, as he banished the thought of decepticons from his mind. He would protect the little human, even if it cost him his life.

She walked up to him, tilting her head back to look up at his face. The motion threw her slightly off balance as she slid back, and fell into the powder beneath her. He bent down and held a finger out to help her up.

She stood and wiped the snow from her body, and Jazz realized, as she started to shiver, that it was time to go. They had a bit of a drive ahead of them, and he still wasn't sure how he was going to explain this to Kup.

"You all done?"

She nodded, and he transformed again making sure to leave his passenger door open.

"Alright, buckle up kid, we gotta go meet someone."

He could hear her teeth chattering as she answered. If he could shake his head, he would have. She knew it was cold, but the temperature couldn't stave off her curiosity. He made sure to pump the heat her way.

"We're meeting someone? Is he a friend?"

Jazz winced inwardly, and let out a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, but maybe not today."


	6. Suprising

**Jazz-**

Jazz turned carefully onto an old abandoned dirt road. Night had fallen and the moon was casting a clear silver glow across the withered, old wheat field.

He kept his lights off and tried to roll carefully over the rocky terrain. Tanya had drifted off a while ago, she had slept so peacefully, it was obvious to him that she had never felt so at ease before. He wanted her to stay that way. The silhouette of the worn wooden barn appeared in front of him, and a well of guilt started to bubble up in him.

What was he going to do? He had directly disobeyed the orders of Optimus, who was not only his leader but his good friend. He had blown his cover to save a human, not just a human but a child at that. The head of special ops had blow his cover to save one lonely child. If the prime had sent another bot, a more hardened bot, like Prowl, none of this would've been a problem.

His spark sank a little with that thought. She wasn't a problem, he couldn't believe he even entertained such a notion. Had Prime sent Prowl, Tanya would have frozen to death on that first night. If fact most other bots would've ignored the small suffering human. To them one human wasn't worth blowing the mission. He had almost made that very decision himself.

He recoiled from the idea, now that he knew her, he cherished the little creature more than he ever thought he would.Optimus would understand, he knew Jazz wasn't as hardened as other bots.

Despite his skill, Jazz had always harbored a weakness for those in need. It was the reason he was an autobot, it went against who he was to just sit by and watch as another being suffered. Maybe, that's why prime sent him to this planet, because he always protected the weak.

Suddenly he rolled into a deep hole in the road, causing him to bounce, and Tanya to shake heavily in her seat. She hit her head on his door, and he winced as he felt the small impact. He had been so stupidly lost in thought that he wasn't paying attention to the rough road.

She sat up rubbing her head slowly.

"You ok?"

She nodded, letting out a small yawn that ended in a soft squeak. His spark warmed slightly, he made the right choice. He could never let such a precious creature suffer, it was completely reprehensible.

He glanced at the old barn, it had been ominously growing in size as he approached. Even though he knew he made the correct choice, that didn't stop him from the dread that filled him as he thought about confronting Kup.

Pulling up to the entrance, he drove through the holographic door. Kup was studying a screen. He pressed multiple buttons that flipped images between the decpeticons last known location, and the areas surrounding Detroit. If Jazz was going to do this, he was going to do it quick.

Kup turned as Jazz transformed.

"Hey kid, welcome ba-"

His relaxed tone was replaced with a scowl as he took in the scene before him. Jazz stood with a hint of remorse on his face as he held Tanya carfully in one of his hands for Kup to see.

 **Tanya-**

Tanya waved wearily as she yawned and rubbed her eye with the opposite hand. The other giant bot looked angry, and intimidating but his gaze was trained on Jazz.

His eyes shifted quickly from Jazz to her, and a hint of fear struck her for a moment. His intense glowing gaze filled her with unease, she scooted back cautiously in Jazz's hand.

She knew the green and silver alien wouldn't hurt her, Jazz had promised. However, he was still mad and big. She swallowed trying to push back the lump that had formed in her throat as her grogginess faded.

"H-hi, I-I'm Tanya."

"Kup."

His response was curt. Still, she tried to force the fear out, and push an awkward smile across her lips. She couldn't help, but look back to Jazz for reassurance. He pushed his mouth into a line, and his brow pulled together in sympathy as he looked back at her.

"Don't worry Tanya, you're safe, i told you he wont hurt you."

Tanya nodded tersely, but jumped in her seat as Kup interjected loudly.

"Of course I ain't gonna hurt the kid, but i'm havin' a hard time not hurtin you! You are a lieutenant, the head of special ops for primus sake! You should know better than to pull somethin' like this!"

Tanya felt her stomach rise into her throat as Jazz swiftly lowered her to the ground, and took a step towards Kup.

"She was all alone Kup, I couldn't just leave her."

"That is exactly what yer supposed to do! We need to be cautious! Prime said not to interfere!"

"She would have died! What kind of bots are we if we turn our backs as the weak suffer? You know Prime will understand."

"Prime would understand?! You've made her a target!"

"I saved her life."

Tanya wasn't sure if it was from being lowered to the ground so quickly, or the tense atmosphere in the room, but she was starting to feel dizzy. She tried to follow the argument, but the voices started to fade as her head got cloudy with anxiety.

The thought of Jazz leaving her, made her feel like there wasn't enough oxygen in the room. This bot would make her live alone again. She could feel tears pricking her eyes.

Suddenly an alarm sounded, and she ran to hide behind Jazz's leg. She wiped her eyes and watched as Kup ran to one of the massive monitors.

"Shit! They found us. This is why Prime said not to interfere! Now you put this kid in even more danger!"

Tanya felt Jazz's cold hands grip her carefully, pulling her in as he transformed. Then fire enveloped them, and suddenly she was flying through the air above Jazz's unconscious bot form.

"JAAAAZZZZZ!!!!"

His eye's flashed back on, and he pulled her from the air and held her tightly against his chest as his back impacted with the ground beneath them.


	7. Promising

**Jazz-**

Jazz Lifted his hand from his chest, Tanya's eyes were wide with shock and fear as she stared back at him breathing hard and visibly shaking. The wound on her head had re-opened and was leaking down her face, but a quick scan showed that for the most part she was ok. Thank Primus.

He could hear Kup firing up into the sky a distance away, and he knew it wouldn't be long before he was targeted again. The Con had taken them by suprise, and no doubt would press that advantage.

He looked into the sky, switching to infrared to detect the bot's heat signature, the con was small, he was disguised as a military drone. He was also alone. A single spy, over confidence had probably led him to attack. Decipticons weren't well known for thinking things through.This should be an easy take down.

White, hot heat rippled through his vision flecked with patches of orange, red, and yellow. The wheat field was on fire. He looked back down at the little yellow and red blob that sat on his chest, and switched his visor back to regular vision.

"Tanya i need you to hide."

She shook her head, dirt falling from her brown curly hair, as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I-i don't want to be alone. I'm scared."

Again she was pulling at his spark. He spoke to her softly, trying to help her understand.

"Tanya listen, I just want to keep you safe. Please do as i say. Run into the wheat field over there, get close to the fire, but not close enough to burn. It will be harder for him to find you there."

He rolled and gently scooted Tanya off his chest, pushing her towards the burning field that surrounded them. Her water filled eyes looked back at him as she clung to her teddy and slipped reluctantly into the over grown field.

He furrowed his brow as he sent one more request, and promise in her direction.

"Be as quiet as you can. I swear, I wont let anything happen to you."

At that he stood, turning toward the con that had set it's sights on Kup, and fired into the sky. He landed a direct hit on the cons wing, sending the bot spiraling down into the dirt below.

Dust flew in response to the impact, smothering any flames in the vicinity. The bot stood slowly transforming quickly into his bipedal form, and Jazz braced himself for the coming fight.

 **Tanya-**

Sweat beaded on Tanya's brow as she peeked through the burning foliage, watching Jazz fight intently. The monstrous bot, that had blown her newly found security to splinters, was on the ground. He stood shifting his appearance rapidly.

He was smaller than Jazz, but also lighter and quicker. An ugly, muddy, military green color covered his body, made evident only by the glow of fire. His orange optics were bright with rage as he regarded his opponent.

His thin frame and the stance he took reminded her of an insect. He didn't have multiple legs like a spider or a mantis, but they were thin and spindly in nature. It made her skin crawl.

He was unnatural to her human eyes, like a stick bug standing upright. She watched intently as he reached behind him to pull two knives from a holster on his back, and flung himself at Jazz spinning like the propeller from a plane.

Jazz blocked the blows with his gun, causing sparks to fly. Flames licked dull light onto the figure of the swift, lengthy bot as he continued to swing his knives unrelentingly at Jazz. She cringed at the loud metallic contact each blow made, but couldn't take her eyes off of them.

Breathing through clenched teeth she watched, as the bot struck a heavy blow. The massive knife sunk deep into the already damaged gun, and lodge itself in the components of the opposing weapon. Jazz yanked hard on the gun pulling the knife free from the decpticons hand, and throwing the smaller bot off balance.

Quickly Jazz swung his leg out, kicking the con hard in the chest, and sending him flying. Tanya winced at the impact that rumbled through her body, as she felt the bot hit the ground not too far from her. Soot flew into the air around her, and she coughed loudly as it singed its way through her lungs.

Both bots looked in her direction simultaneously, and she felt her heart sink to her feet.

"Run Tanya!!"

Jazz's shout pierced through her fear, and she took off pushing through the wheat, and choking hard on the thick air that hindered her breathing.

Jumping into to the air, Jazz aimed for the bots spark with the knife he had stolen, but the con rolled quickly out of the way reaching through the fire.

Tanya fought with the plants, trying to force her way out of the field. Looking back only to be greeted by the horrific sight of a large spindly hand reaching for her through the menacing flames.

His finger caught on her leg causing her to fall into the dirt, and the con seized the chance. As Jazz ran for him, he yanked Tanya by the leg. She clawed desperately at the ground, as his hot metal grip dragged her up from the dirt. He held her upside down in-front of himself, with both her arms clenched tightly in his other fist as if her minute form could shield him from the coming onslaught.

Jazz Halted in his tracks intentionally coming short on his intended target. Tanya couldn't help, but scream out for him as the skin on her leg started to burn from the heat of the metal hand. Tears streamed through her brow, and stung as they dribbled over the open gash on her forehead.

Panic and pain overrode her senses, as she felt the hot metal of the deceptions hand burning through her skin. Blood rushing to her brain was causing a blackness to seep into her vision from the sides.

All of the sound around her was beginning to fade. Jazz's muffeled voice barely registered as he reassured her that everything would be ok. The haziness took over, and her mind slipped into blackness as she passed out in the bots arms.


	8. Realizing

**Jazz-**

Jazz could feel the rage flooding his circuits as soot and smoke spiraled around him. The con was holding the little human too tight in his grip, his hot metal hand disfiguring the flesh beneath it. Tanya's painfully panicked cries reached out desperately for him. He searched frantically for a way to save her, but found none.

His chest was burning, and he knew it wasn't the fire. His spark was searing a hole through his armor. Everything in him wanted to run to the little girl, and save her from her suffering instantly, but he knew that kind of move would only prove to be the end of his helpless friend. He had broken his promise, because of him her life was now in danger. Now all he could do was offer some slight reassurance, and hope for an opening.

"It's going to be ok Tanya, I am going to get you back!"

He tried to say it confidently, but even he could hear the desperation that frayed the edges of his voice with uncertainty. He directed a twisted gaze at the smug decepticon, and couldn't hold back the growl that issued from his mouth.

"Coward! So scared of dying that you'll use a helpless little girl as a shield?"

A malicious smirk spread across the bot's face.

"It's my exploitation of YOUR weakness that keeps me alive, autobot. If you perceive that as cowardice, then so be it. You place such value on these insects, it's laughable. What purpose do they serve? They are as numerous as a virus, and as pointless as firing a shot into the sun. Yet it seems you would give up all the data I've collected just to save this one insignificant pest."

The bot paused inspecting the unconscious child with a manically, inquisitive look. It made Jazz long to rip the spark from his chest. The wretched con had something terrible in store for Tanya, and it made Jazz's fuel tank churn.

"Though i must say, this one wasn't entirely useless. Had she not been around...YOU probably would've deciphered my signal much sooner. The virus I had implanted in it would never have had time to gather the battle strategies i now have."

The con paused his musing, and flashed a mocking grin at Jazz.

"Instead you left it in the hands of that out of date, old fool that can't tell his spark from his aft. I probably never even needed to plant the distraction, the girl worked so much better than that harmless machine."

The bot chuckled darkly as Jazz felt the words strike home in his mind. He knew it was his responsibility to handle the difficult coding involved in their undercover work, but Tanya was dying right under the noses of her own people.

There was no way he was going to just sit by as the defenseless suffered in-front of him. Whats done is done, and he'd rather spare a life from suffering than win a battle. He glanced in Tanya's direction, she was unconscious, he took a step forward out of concern. Maybe he could negotiate.

"Ah ah ah, you might want to keep your distance, she's **so** fragile, it wouldn't be hard for me to make an **awful** mess."

Jazz stopped abruptly, the mech said the word with such sickening pleasure, he knew it wasn't a bluff. He would kill the little human, HIS little human.

"Now, you have two choices. You can either, let me go. I'll report my information to my commander, and the little human goes free. **OR** you can try to kill me and watch as I rip her into a million bloody pieces. Choose wisely, either way you loose."

A slight movement from the darkness caught Jazz's eye, and a confident smirk spread across his face. Kup walked through the flames holding his left shoulder. It was leaking energon and sparking intermittently, but the old bot wasn't down for the count.

"I'll show you exactly which end is the aft, ya worthless piece of junk!"

The decepticons eyes went wide with surprise as Kup kicked him from behind, and right into Jazz's waiting grip. Jazz lashed out quickly, and grabbed both of the bots wrists with one hand, clenching them tightly so he couldn't move or hurt Tanya. He pulled the stunned bot close to his face, smiling with concrete pleasure as he spoke to the decepticon.

"Maybe you missed the memo, but loosing just isn't my style."

With his other hand he took the stolen blade, and thrust it deeply into the bot's spark yanking sharply upward, splitting the con open from his chest through his head. Energon sputtered from the dying bot, and Jazz dropped the blade, moving quickly to catch Tanya as she slipped from the bots grip.

He let the dead bot sink to the ground as he examined the girl laying in his hand, her lower right leg was covered in skin that was a sickly redish-purple in color, and the blood from her forehead had matted in her messy hair. He frowned as he looked over to Kup.

The old bot was right, a little girl had no place with the autobots. She was a target, the cons would never leave her alone if she stayed. She needed to see a doctor, a human doctor. He needed to take her to a hospital, and leave her with her own kind. Kup looked back with understanding, and a somber look.

"I know, its hard kid, but she's better off with them, not us."

The searing in his spark changed to tearing, as Tanya's eyes opened weakly, took him in for just a moment, and closed drearily. He knew the decision he was supposed to make.

Blurry images of flames and her monstrous captor filled her head, as she drifted wearily in and out of consciousness. At one point she remembered waking briefly. Jazz's frowning face filled her vision, he was spattered in purple fluid. He had never looked so sad before, like he had just lost something irreplaceable.

If she hadn't felt so weak she would have talked to him. She would have tried to comfort him, like he had for her. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but the pain was too much. Her eyes grew heavy, and she slipped back into darkness. After that, it was just brief sights and sounds. A familiar engine, stars through a window, cold air, and a white building with windows all over. She was moving, but she had no idea where. Lucidity still alluded her.

She shot up from where she slept, images swirling hazily in her head. The movement caused pain to roar up at her from her right leg, and she couldn't help but let out a loud gasp. A white sheet had been draped over her where she slept. Under the sheet, a soft mattress, also covered in white, cushioned the spot beneath her.

She flung the sheets off, flinching as her wounded leg was struck by the cool air in the room. Cautiously examining it with her fingers, she noticed her leg had been covered carefully with medical cloth. She touched each bandage lightly, roving over spots that had a maroon tint around the edges.

Those were the most painful spots, screaming in protest with the slightest of disturbances. They seemed to run in lines around her leg. It was where she had been gripped by the evil bot.

As the pain slowly subsided she noticed an unfamiliar tightness constricting her head. Reaching up she touched the smooth tape that wound around her head. It held a large spongy gauze in place just over the gash she had received from mama. She must be at the doctors, quickly she glanced around the room.

The walls were a pale gray, and next to her bed sat a large, beautiful pine tree adorned with colorful lights. Her mouth dropped in wonder, she had never seen such a large Christmas tree, and at the very top sat an angel with long curly blond hair.

She held a candle in her hands as her wings flapped back, and forth. Jazz had to see this! She whipped her head around searching for her only friend, but tears slowly rolled to the surface as she realized she was all alone.

The room suddenly seem very large to her, almost like the emptiness itself would swallow her. She pulled the sheet back up to her chest, and clenched it in her fists. Liquid flooded her vision and poured down her cheeks. Uncontrolled sniffles slipped out in manic bursts from her nose as she began to sob.

Why didn't anybody ever want to stay with her? A whooshing noise issued from the opposite side of the room just as a Tanya dropped her head into the sheet huffing and sputtering in sorrow.

"Tanya? Hey, little one whats wrong?"

She knew the voice, but she was too lost in her tears to focus on anything other than feeling abandoned. She spoke through her tears, knowing her voice was muffled by the sheets. She didn't want to see the big lonely room anymore.

"I-I-I I'm all aloneee..."

A soft laugh issued from the voice next to her.

"Drop the sheet Tanya."

She shook her head, but stopped as soon as she saw the massive black hand that started to gently pull the sheet from her grip. Immediately she threw the cover down, and latched on to his huge pointer finger in a vice grip like hug, shouting with glee.

"Jazz!"

He reached over with his other hand, and lightly brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. A warm smile spread across his face as he looked at her.

"You should know i could never leave you kid."

She realized she was high up as she watched Jazz reach down for something he placed on the ground. Concern filled her expression as her gaze focused behind Jazz. Another bot stood in the doorway, larger then Jazz, and glaring menacingly in their direction. Her eyes got big as she pointed in the strange bots direction.

"Who is that?"

Jazz stood upright, looking in the direction she was pointing. His face lit up as he saw what had frightened her.

"HA! Ratchet you might want to leave your scaring your own patient."

The large red and white bot left grumbling to himself as the doors closed behind him. She focused back on Jazz with a curious expression.

"You have nothing to worry about, Ratchet wouldn't hurt a soul. He's an old friend. None of the bots here would ever hurt you. It took some convincing, but you get to stay here with us if you want to."

She couldn't help, but smile wide and nod excitedly. Despite the frightening encounter she had been through, she knew there was no where else she'd rather be. Jazz laughed in response.

"Good, that's what i like to hear."

He brought his hand from around his back, and set something on her bed.

"Teddy!"

She hugged the old stuffed animal tight in her arms.

"We cleaned him up a bit for ya, also i thought he'd look better if he was wearin a bow."

"I love it!"

She could barely contain her joy, she should've never doubted what her father told her. Her prayers had finally been answered, she didn't have to be alone anymore.

Jazz smirked at the gleeful little girl, he knew he would have hell to pay in the long run, but it was all worth it to make that kid happy. He couldn't bare to see her suffer, and it was evident that the little girl would if he ever left.

If he was honest with himself, there was a huge part of him that wouldn't be able to bare leaving her as well. That became clear when he pulled up outside that human hospital.

He had sat in silence for a while, listening to her rhythmic breathing as he fought with himself internally. Her little breaths were music to his ears, and the idea that he would never hear that sound again broke his spark.

Having her here with him was dangerous, but the thought of his life without her just felt empty. She had filled a void that he never even knew was there. His smirk spread into a smile, as he turned quickly and headed for the base.

He Embraced the verbal lashing he received from both Kup and Ratchet when he arrived. However, it came as a shock when Prowl consented to his request that his little human remain with them. The fact that the girl had no one else made a huge difference. No other humans would come looking for her.

As he looked at her now he remembered the day they first met. She had called him an angel, but maybe she had it backwards, cause he swore he could see a feint glow in that girl's smile. He reached out, ruffling the girl's messy hair with his finger.

"Merry Christmas little one."

 **END** **A/N: sorry this story has gone through so many additions and revisions. I just kept having more ideas as time went on. So please let me know what you think. I have another story that i am working on called Liberation. It is set in the same universe and focuses on Sideswipe and a human he stumbles upon towards the end of AHM. So keep a look out for that one as well.**


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